Van Satonaka (FC)
| birthday = | age = | gender = Male | height = | weight = | eyes = | hair = | unusual features = | affiliation = | previous affiliation = | occupation = , 3rd Seated officer | previous occupation = 6th Seated officer | team = 9th Division | previous team = | partner = Kenji Hiroshi, Kei Yume | previous partner = | base of operations = 9th Division barracks | marital status = | education = | family = | clan = | status = Active | shikai = Kōsekihana | bankai = Not yet achieved }} Van Satonaka, known otherwise as the "Bloody Demon", is a maverick well-known for his unorthodox approach and disregard for authority; preferring to tread his own path, he is seen as something of a fickle element by the . Originally an operative of the and a member of the 2nd Division in the Gotei 13, Van transferred to the 9th Division immediately after The Coven's initial attack on the , where he was given the position of 6th Seated officer by acting-Captain Shūhei Hisagi. He is a close confidant of both Kenji Hiroshi and Kei Yume, and is generally viewed as having greater loyalty to them than to the Gotei 13 at large. In the years that followed The Coven's attack Van proved himself loyal to Hisagi's leadership, though whispers persisted regarding his character and motivations. Despite this he rose to become the 3rd Seated officer of his Division and second-in-command of the Commando Unit unique to the 9th Division. Van himself became highly suspicious of fellow 9th Division member Yoshiro Shiba, and was convinced that he was the mysterious encountered by Van during a mission to the . He was one of a very select few to be correct. Like Kenji he is is generally focused on combating The Coven. Appearance Van is described as a wiry man with blond-coloured hair who favours a pale-blue kimono during his off-duty hours. He tends to keep his eyes narrowed to slits and thus rarely shows his sky-blue eyes. During The Coven's initial attack Van suffered a broken left-arm,Dawn of the Coven and was later seen with it in a sling.Towards the Future: Kenji's Resolve As is typical of the Commando unit he serves in, Van wears a form-fitting white-coloured haori over his standard Shinigami attire with Komamura 9th Division emblazoned on the back.Ninth Division Commando Unit Like almost every member of the Ninth Division past and present, Van wears a sleeveless kosode. In recent years he has further modified his kosode to include a hood.Fly in the Stone: Tension Personality Van has little interest in the chain of command; he addresses Captains and Lieutenants both with their given name, without any mention of their title, unless of course he is being flippant.Towards the Future: Human World Investigation He is also curt and sometimes rude and openly speaks his mind without thought for how his statements may come across to others.Blank period: The Noble Art He is curt and frequently comes across as uncouth: Ryūsei noted him to be of "lowborn character", and immediately identified him as a possible troublemaker. His rude behaviour, disrespecting tone and body language, and his use of sarcasm extends to members of even the highest Noble Houses.The Summit Van is loyal to people, not to organisations, and is specifically loyal to Kenji and Kei. After being given orders it took him thirty minutes before he acted on them, and even then he ultimately refused said order so that he could help the injured Kenji attend Kazuya Kuchiki's funeral service. Kenji and Kei are two of the few people that Van acts like himself around; he has proven to be in possession of a quick wit and a somewhat vulgar mouth,Towards the Future: Answers and Questions but has proven to be serious when the situation demands it.Towards the Future: Cave of Fulmination When drinking at Kei's however Van's vulgarity and loudness are clearly evident; he has little regard for how his words affect others, as Mikado discovered when he spoke of her savaging several Evening Primrose members in-front of the bars clientele.Blank period: The Evening Primrose Van has also been shown to be something of a disciplinarian when it comes to teaching, and can be quite strict; though he is notably proud of his students, specifically Mikado. Despite his attitude, Van is notoriously observant. Despite the scene being looked over by Kenji and his patrol team, Van was the only one who noticed reiatsu suggesting the involvement of a . He subsequently chased down the culprit and forced him to retreat after extensively wounding him.Towards the Future: Finalisation It was this meeting that unknowingly invoked Van's dislike of Yoshiro Shiba, who was actually the Visored in question, which was a belief Van and Kenji eventually shared despite Yoshiro's apparent innocence. Mikado, who works extensively with Van but has not been made fully aware of his own or Kenji's views and suspicions regarding Yoshiro, has nevertheless noticed Van's overall dislike of him. Van himself has noted that he is generally more calm and patient than most people in regards to his work; he has been known to carefully stalk his targets for hours, days, or even years without alerting them to his intentions whilst building a profile on them.Fly in the Stone: Diversion During battle Van is noted to be a dogged and unpredictable combatant; Hotaru Hiroshi went so far as to compare Van to the version he knew, and called him a "bloody demon" after having fought him. He also respects those with similar abilities to himself; he was notably impressed when Sakae sensed his presence despite having used Kidō to obscure his physical form.Blank period: The Jaws Close He was also noted by Kenji to be ruthless and unforgiving. Kenji claimed that had the decision fallen to Van regarding the training of Michael Davis -- a -- in the ways of a , Van would have killed him instead.A Giving Soul: The Telling Soul Unlike so many of his Division Van does not see himself as a journalist. He sees himself more as Hisagi's personal . Literary works *''Cataclysm Holiday Specials'' -- Van contributes holiday segments based on Kenji's popular episodic publication. He uses the same setting and characters written by Kenji with a comedic flair and, in Van's own words, are done solely for shits-and-giggles.Specials They are done also out of duty -- Van does not see himself as a journalist or an author. History Van has had a lifelong friendship with Kenji Hiroshi and Kei Yume. Van grew up in the outlying areas of Western Rukongai, his only companion being Kenji, and their life was not easy. It was during this time that Van grew to resent the noble classes, though Kei was a notable exception. Van spent a great deal of time training with Kenji, specifically during their respective pursuit of . Kenji humorously showed Michael Davis a memory of Van and he through resonance that depicted Van struggling to initiate Jinzen, where he physically hit his Zanpakutō off a nearby rock whilst cursing profusely.A Giving Soul: The Training Soul Synopsis Renascence Beginning :Main article -- Renascence Beginning. 9th Division Assault arc *Assault on the 9th Division *Towards the Future: Kenji's Resolve *Towards the Future: Cave of Fulmination *Towards the Future: Human World Investigation *Towards the Future: Answers and Questions *Towards the Future: Finalisation Blank period Evening Primrose arc *Blank period: The Noble Art *Blank period: The Jaws Close *Blank period: The Evening Primrose *Blank period: Moving Forward (mentioned) *Blank period: Learning to Let Go Investigation arc *Blank period: Rising Suspicions *Blank period: Retaliation Cultist arc The New Substitute arc *The Fledgling Soul *Back From the Dead: Recuperation (mentioned) *Tell Me This Bleach Renascence :Main article -- Bleach Renascence. Soul Society arc *Fly in the Stone *Distant Thundering Footsteps Specials :Main article -- Specials and Omakes. *Drinking Time With Kenji & Van: Episode 3: The Multiverse is a Bitch Equipment *'Hitsuboku' (筆墨, Pen and ink): a specialised pen and ink made by Izumi Ōmura for the 9th Division at the request of Kenji.Izumi Ōmura thread The ink becomes a specialised knock-out agent when applied directly to the bloodstream,Izumi's inventions and is thus used more as a hidden weapon by Van than a writing implement when stealth is key. *'Teleportation sheets:' During the investigation into Yoshiro Shiba's disappearance, Van revealed to Mikado that Kenji and himself where in possession of specialised sheets which enable instantaneous travel from their current location to the courtyard of the 9th Division's barracks through Kidō. Van would later remark to Yuu and Asuka that he can determine the destination, whilst taking a group with him. Powers and Abilities : Van boasts particularly high spiritual power for he counts himself a member of the 9th Division's elite Commando Unit. After meeting the nature spirit known as in Northern Rukongai, Van and Kenji where infused by a small measure of its power. Van possessed the necessary reiatsu to match Hotaru Hiroshi's restrained power with his donned.Hotaru was noted to constantly hold himself back to the level expected of a Seated Officer to preserve his cover. Whilst Hollowfied, and fighting under this handicap, he was noted to be roughly equal to Van. Two years following the Kidō Corps Revolt, Kenji has openly admitted that Van is stronger than he was, and this remains the case years later despite Kenji's promotion to Lieutenant and Van's own to 3rd Seat of the same Division. Hohō Mastery: As a former member of the Patrol Corps of the , Van excels in high-speed movement techniques.Bleach: Official Bootleg KaraBuri+, page 83 His skill-level is high enough to match that of the Hollowfied Hotaru. Two years later Van's mastery was clearly evident through his use of high-level techniques usually seen only amongst the highest ranks of the Onmitsukidō. The years continued to see Van's skills increase, to the point his use of Utsusemi was almost instant. *' ' (空蝉, Cast-Off Cicada Shell): a high-speed movement technique where one moves at high-speed to leave behind a diversionary afterimage.Bleach manga; Chapter 299, pages 16-17 Van's usage allowed him to leave his kosode behind for Kenji to find, whilst fooling his attacker into thinking he was dead. :*'Shōton: Utsusemi' (晶遁:空蝉, Crystal Style: Cast-Off Cicada Shell): a personal derivative Van developed in the years following the death of Captain Kuchiki. With it he combines Utsusemi, his Shikai, and his Kidō skills to instantly switch himself with a battle-ready crystal clone. Keen Intellect: Despite his general attitude, though expectant considering his previous occupation, Van is highly observant and analytical, and his skills are held in particularly high regard by Hisagi and Mikado. He was the only member of Kenji's team that deduced the presence of a during one of their investigations in the , whilst simultaneously noting the reiatsu to be different from Shinji's group. He also quickly identified the disguised Sakae in the midst of a crowd, though he failed to discover her true allegiance. Hakuda Expertise: As a former member of the Patrol Corps, which was occasionally tasked with apprehending who where under house arrest, Van was required to hone his skills in hand-to-hand combat.Bleach manga; Chapter -106 He showed the requisite skill to swiftly kick a door in and knock several thugs unconscious. Even when deprived of his Zanpakutō Van shows absolutely no hesitation in engaging in hand-to-hand combat. Kidō: Whilst not his preferred style during battle by any means, Van's skills are honed to the point that he can identify and destroy Kidō-based traps. His skill-level is deemed advanced enough for him to be counted amongst the instructors of the Shinigami Kidō Association,Shinigami Kidō Association Instructors with him being particularly versed in Kidō theory. He is particularly well-versed in regards to stealth-based Kidō and spells which aid concealment, whilst being adept in spells of a supplementary nature. Stealth: As a former member of the Patrol Corps whose task was to monitor their fellow Shinigami to prevent uprisings, Van was notably skilled in stealth so as not to draw attention to his activities. Van's skills where held in high esteem by Hisagi. Even when discovered he can use feints and diversions to swiftly hide himself once more, even fooling the highly analytical Sakae. Once sufficiently hidden away he can follow his targets at a distance with casual ease whilst remaining undetected, and then strike at the most opportune time. Even during battle Van is capable of switching places with a clone and hiding himself in order to launch crippling ambushes. Enhanced Endurance: Despite fighting for the duration during the assault on the 9th Division all Van suffered during the battle was a broken arm. Even when inhaling kanki fumes Van was able to calm himself enough to show little encumbrance. Enhanced Strength: Van was capable of supporting Kenji's body weight with only one arm when the latter escaped his hospital room but forgot to take his crutches with him. Zanjutsu Expertise: As a former operative of the Patrol Corps, who are often required to deal with uprisings, Van is a skilled swordsman. Despite the Onmitsukidō often leaning towards Hakuda as their primary fighting style, Van prefers Zanjutsu, but is at home in either field. His skill was enough to pressure the likes of Hotaru; who was himself trained by various master swordsman, all of whom where regarded as masters in their world. Van later trained extensively under Sajin Komamura when he took Captaincy of the 9th Division, which served to heighten his abilities.Ninth Division (Fanon Canon)#Recruitment Zanpakutō Kōsekihana (鉱石花, Crystal Petal). Van's Zanpakutō is a standard katana with violet-coloured hilt-wrapping and a circular guard. Van is one of the few males whose Zanpakutō Spirit is confirmed to be female, and she is further identified as having something of a difficult personality. *' :' Van releases his Zanpakutō with the command "Wreak Havoc". Upon release the blade of his Zanpakutō dissolves completely into thousands of minuscule shards of pink-coloured crystal, whilst leaving the hilt in his hand. Van can further increase the quantity of crystal at his disposal for larger and more wide-ranging effects by deconstructing not only the blade but also the hilt, guard, and sheath.Fly in the Stone: The Veil :Shikai Special Ability: Tamotsu, who was a guard fought by Van alongside Asuka and Yuu, noted that the nature of Van's Zanpakutō as a projectile-type made it a pain to deal with though even in close-quarters Kōsekihana is quite dangerous; the crystal shards can cut as deep as any blade, and are especially potent en-mass. Van typically controls the streams of crystal via hand motions, and usually does so with only one. Kenji has described Van's Zanpakutō as a marvel for its versatility; it can be used offensively and defensively, in manners seemingly limited only by Van's imagination. Hotaru, who observed one of Van's counterparts battle Kenji's counterpart and Hotaru's own father, specifically stated that fighting Van with Kōsekihana released was like fighting "a bloody demon". :*'Kesshō' (結晶, Crystallisation): the true power of Van's Zanpakutō. The crystal has the potent effect of forcibly crystallising anything the shards come into contact with; Van, for example, was capable of stabilising a collapsing ceiling by crystallising the falling stones and connecting them together to create make-shit pillars to stop Kenji and himself from being crushed. :*'Kōsekiken' (鉱石剣, Crystal Blade): Van has been shown capable of reconstituting the blade using some of the crystal at his disposal, at which point the edge takes on a pink-hue whilst retaining its sealed appearance. :*'Weaknesses:' Although powerful Kōsekihana has certain flaws an observant opponent can take advantage of. Van's more elaborate creations, such as an encircling column-like array to surround a specific area and box an opponent in, requires almost all his available crystal and forces him to rely on Hakuda whilst concentrating on the shape created. His crystallising affect is also power-dependant and loses effectiveness when the power-gap between Van and his opponent lessens. It also places a proportional toll on Van himself. *' :' Not yet achieved. Alternate world counterpart :Main article -- Van Satonaka. Van Satonaka, feared throughout the realms as the leader of The Rogues, is an alternate version of Van who appears as one of the main characters of Bleach: Sun and Moon Chronicles and both parts of Bleach: War of the Worlds. He is Kenji Hiroshi's frequent rival and fighting partner against their shared nemesis Averian. Author's notes Behind the scenes *This version of Van is mostly a mirror of the character originally created by Razo, which happened to be the first RP partner the author had shortly after joining the wiki. :*Like Van in Part I, this Van is jovial and carefree when interacting with his friends, but just as Van possessed a darker side that became more prevalent as the series progressed into Parts II and III, this Van is something of a hardliner. :*This Van uses the same Zanpakutō that was in use on Van when the author first joined the wiki, which was the weapon used throughout Part I. The original name of Van's Zanpakutō translated to Frosted Petal. Trivia *The original Van never officially joined any Gotei 13 division. He was, however, slated for the 9th Division, which was Captained by his brother Shirosuke Satonaka. In the FC Van is a Seated officer in the 9th Division. References & notes Category:Characters Category:Male